Sewing machine



Dec. 8, 1936.

W. MYERS SEWING MACHINE Filed Oct. 8, 1935 2 Shets-Sheet l 3mm ZUa Zter CM ens Dec. 8, 1936. w. MYERS 2,063,264

SEWING MACHINE Filed Oct. 8, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2 nn-m Patented Dec. 8, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SEWING MACHINE Application October 8, 1935, Serial No. 44,002

20 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in sewing machines and more particularly in compound. feeding mechanisms in which a plurality of workengaging devices cooperate in advancing the work past the stitch-forming mechanism.

In a commercially well known type of compound feeding mechanism, the usual thread-carrying needle has lateral work-feeding movements in unison with the work-advancing movements of a feed-dog, thereby insuring against relative movement of superposed plies of work being secured by stitching. However, difliculty has been experienced heretofore in connection with compound feeding mechanisms to properly time the lateral movements of the needle with the workadvancing movements of the feed-dog, either after initial assembly of the machine parts or when changing from one stitch length to another for diflerent classes of work.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide for concomitantly adjusting a plurality of actuating eccentrics as to eccentricity.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for conveniently and accurately adjusting the amplitude of work-advancing movements of the feeding elements of a compound feeding mechanism.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a compound feeding mechanism adapted. for high speed operation,-with a minimum overthrow of the parts of said mechanism.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a feed-off-arm sewing machine with a compound feeding mechanism including a workengaging feed-dog and a work-feeding threadcarrying needle.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the devices, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, from which the several features of the invention and the advantages attained thereby will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, of a feed-off-arm sewing machine embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of a portion of the machine looking from the left in Fig. 1, with the worksupporting arm in longitudinal section. Fig. 3 represents a vertical section of the machine bracket-arm substantially on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents a horizontal section of the machine bracket-arm substantially on the line which operates through a suitably slotted throat- 4-4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 represents a disassembled perspective of the locking detent and its supporting bushing, employed in connection with the agjustment of the needle-feed actuating eccent c.

The drawings illustrate the present improvement as embodied in the feed-off-arm sewing machine shown and described in my prior U. S. Pat- But No. 1,999,978, April 30, 1935, and, in part, in my prior patent application Serial No. 737,002, filed July 26, 1934. The sewing machine shown in the drawings has a frame comprising a bed having a forwardly extending arm I which carries a laterally extending hollow arm 2 which, in turn, carries a rearwardly extending hollow work-supporting arm 3. The arms I, 2 and 3 are cast integral and are substantially coplanar or at the same level, thereby forming a U-shaped bed. Rising from the rearward portion of the arml is the hollow standard l of a bracket-arm 5 terminating at its free end in a head 6 which overhangs the free end of the work supporting arm 3.

Journaled in ball-bearings I and 8 in the bracket-arm 5 is the main shaft 9 carrying at one end a driving-belt pulley l0 and at its opposite end a counterbalanced crank-disk H. The crank-disk II is connected by the usual link I2 to a needle-bar l3 journaled for endwise reciprocation in suitable bearings provided in a swinging frame ll. The frame [4 is pivotally hung at its upper end upon a fulcrum-pin l5 secured in the bracket-arm head 6 and disposed substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the main shaft 9. At its lower end, the needle-bar I3 is provided with one or more thread-carrying needles. l6.

Suitably secured upon the main shaft 9 is a peripherally grooved pulley I! connected by a clip belt IS with a similar pulley [9 carried by a rotary actuating shaft 20. The shaft 20 is journaled in ball-bearings 2! in the carrier-arm 2 and is disposed substantially parallel to the main shaft 9, said shafts rotating in one-to-one relationship. As disclosed in greater detail in my prior patent application Serial No. 737,002, the shaft 20 carries a pair of bevel-gears 22 and 23 connected to driving mechanisms for rotary loop-takers disposed within the work-arm 3 at the free end thereof and which loop-takers cooperate with the needles IS in the formation of stitches.

The work is advanced longitudinally of the work-arm 3 and off the free end thereof by a drop-feed mechanism including a feed-dog 25 plate 20' secured upon the work-arm 8. The feed-dog is provided with needle-apertures 21 (only one of which is shown), said feed-dog being opposed by the usual presser-foot 2| provided with needle-slots It (only one of which is shown). The feed-dog 2 is carried by one end of a feed-bar to extending longitudinally of and within the work-arm 3. said feed-bar being sultably fulcrumed for rocking and endwise movements upon a bracket ll within the work-arm.

In order to impart rocking movements to the feed-bar Ill and thereby rising and falling'movements to the feed-dog It, said feed-bar at its end opposite to the feed-dog is provided with a fork 32 engaging a block a embracing a feed-lift eccentric l4 suitably secured upon the rotary actuating shaft 20.

Secured, by screws 35, upon the feed-bar 80 for adjustment lengthwise thereof, is the carrierarm of a fork It engaging a block 31 embracing a feed-advance eccentric II, the fork It extending transversely of the feed-lift fork 32. The feedadvance eccentric It is secured upon the shaft 20 for adjustment of the eccentricity of the eccentric, the present arrangement corresponding substantially with the disclosure in the U. S.

Patent to A. Grieb, No. 1,605,937, Nov. 9, 1926.

In order to provide for conveniently adjusting the eccentricity of the eccentric ll, the coverplate 39 of the work-arm 3 is provided with a detent 40 manually operable to enter a stop-notch 4| provided in the periphery of an eccentric adjusting member 42 associated with the eccentric it. When the detent 40 is depressed to enter the stop-notch 4|, the adjusting member 42 is restrained against rotation, thereby to eflect adjustment of the eccentric ll by a turning movement of the shaft Ill, all as fully disclosed in my prior patent application Serial No. 737,002.

Operatively engaging the swinging frame l4, in which the needle-bar is joumaled, is a bent crank-arm 43 carried by one end of a horizontally disposed rock-shaft 44 journaled in the bracket -arm Ii below and substantially parallel to the main-shaft 9. Suitably secured upon the rockshaft 44 is a forked member 45 engaging a block 46 embracing a needle-feed actuating eccentric 41. The actuating eccentric 41 embraces an eccentric 48 of an adjusting member mounted upon the main-shaft 9 for turning movement thereupon.

The actuating eccentric 41 has a flange 49 provided with a radial slot to slidingly entered by a pilot-block ll carried by a shouldered anchorpin 52. The anchor-pin 52 is fixed in a driving disk 53 secured by a screw I4 upon the mainshaft 8 for rotation therewith. Consequently, the anchor-pin 52 constitutes a driving connection compelling rotation of the actuating eccentric 41 with the shaft 9. The anchor-pin I2 extends loosely through an arcuate slot BI provided in a flange 58 of the adjusting eccentric 48, the flange 56 being disposed between the flange 40 of the actuating eccentric 41 and the driving disk 83.

The adjusting member, associated with the escentric 41 and comprising the eccentric 4| and its flange 56, is secured to the driving disk 53 for rotation therewith during the normal operation of the machine, but in a manner permitting relative rotation of said adjusting member and supporting disk for purposes of adjustment of the eccentricity of the eccentric 41. To that end, the side face of the adjusting-member flange 56 which is adjacent to the eccentric flange 4!, is provided with a circular groove ll affording a the needle-feed eccentric clearance recess for a friction plate II and the heads of screws which pass freely through the arcuate slot II in the flange ll. the being threaded into the driving disk It. Friction washers II are interposed between the fric- 5 tion-plate II and the heads of the screws l! to normally secure the adjusting member for rotation with the actuating eccentric. The flange ll of the adjusting member 40 is peripherally provided with a stop-notch OI adapted to receive a detent which is manually operable to hold the adjusting member against rotation with the cocentric 4'l. I

The detent referred to comprises a horizontally disposed plunger-rod I having a reduced end it proportioned to enter the stop-notch oi, said plunger-rod being mounted for turning and endwise sliding movements in a bushing '4 fixed in a suitable opening in the front wall of the bracketarm I. Secured upon the outer end of the plunger-rod 81, by a set-screw II. is a peripherally knurled head it of a bearing sleeve l'l slidably entering an annular socket I in the bushing l4. Interposed between the bottom of said socket es and the inner end of the bearing-sleeve O1 is a 26 coil-spring es embracing the plunger-rod. Carried by the reduced inner end of the phmger-rod is a keeper-plate 10 adapted to enter a diametrar groove H in the inner end face of the bushing 84. During the operation of the sewing machine, the keeper-plate I0 is held seated in the bushingsl'oove II by the spring 60.

It will be understood from the foregoing description that, in the operation of the machine,

41 actuates the rock- 3 shaft 44 to vibrate the needle-bar frame l4, thereby imparting to the needles ll lateral movements lengthwise of the work-arm 8, said needles deriving endwise reciprocations from the main-shaft 8 in the usual manner. The lateral movements of the needles it in the direction of the work-advancing movements of the feed-dog 2! occur while the needles are in the work. The needles pin the several work-plies against relative movement and assist in the feeding of said plies.-

The needle-feed eccentric 41 and the feed-dog actuating eccentric ll are so constructed and arranged that, in corresponding adjustments thereof, unison work-feeding movements are imparted to the feed-elements actuated thereby. To that end, said eccentrics and the adjusting means therefor are preferably of similar construction, but it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the speciflc form of construction of the eccentrics as hereinbefore described.

In order to concomitantly effect adjustment of the amplitude of work-feeding movement of the feeding elements, the plunger-rod I! is pushed inwardly against the action of the spring II, until 60 the reduced end II of said plunger-rod enters the stop-notch ll of the eccentric-adjusting member, and the keeper-plate II is free of the bushinggroove II. The plunger-rod is now partly rotated so that the keeper-plate ll engages the inher end face of the bushing '4, thereby holding the plunger-rod against retraction in response to the action of the spring I. The detent 4. upon the work-arm is now depressed to enter the stopnotch 4| of the adjusting member 42 of the feeddog actuating eccentric ll, said detent being held depressed while the main-shaft I is turned the angular degree to eflect the desired adjustments of the eccentrics "and 41. As the shafts I and 20 are connected to rotate in one-to-one relationship, it will be understood that said :ocentrics are simultaneously adjusted to a corresponding extent, thereby accurately maintaining the unison feeding movements of the needles l6 and the feed-dog 25.

To facilitate accurate adjustment of the eccentrics 38 and 41, the extent of adjustment is visibly indicated, preferably by suitable graduations I2 upon the periphery of the driving'disk 53 which is secured for rotation with the mainshaft 9. The periphery of the adjusting-member flange 56, adjacent to the driving disk 53, may be provided with a suitable index or line-mark (not shown) to indicate the extent of relative movement between the disk 53 and said flange 58 during adjustment of the eccentrics. The extent of adjustment may be observed by swinging out the usual cover-plate 13 upon the top of the bracketarm 5, or a suitable observation-aperture may be provided in the front side of the bracket-arm, if preferred.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:-

1. Feeding mechanism for sewing machines including a plurality of feeding elements, adjustable eccentrics having operative connections with the respective feeding elements, and meansfor concomitantly effecting adjustments of the eccentricities of said eccentrics.

2. Feeding mechanism for sewing machines including feeding elements engageable with the work from opposite sides thereof, adjustable eccentrics having operative connections with the respective feeding elements, and means for concomitantly effecting adjustments of the eccentricities of said eccentrics.

3. Feeding mechanism for sewing machines including a work-advancing feed-dog and a reciprocatory thread-carrying needle having lateral work-feeding movements, an adjustable eccentric operatively connected to impart work-advancing movements to said feed-dog, an adjustable eccentric operatively connected to impart work-feeding movements to said needle, and means for concomitantly effecting adjustments of the eccentricities of said eccentrics.

4. A sewing machine having a frame comprising a bed and an overhanging bracket-arm, a thread-carrying needle, a rotary shaft journaled in said bracket-arm, a needle-feed actuating eccentric adjustably carried by said bracket-arm shaft, a rock-shaft journaled in said bracket-arm deriving operative movements from said needlefeed'actuating eccentric and connected to impart Work-advancing movements to said needle, a feed-dog, a rotary shaft journaled in said bed, and a feed-eccentric adjustably carried by the bed-shaft and connected to impart work-advancing movements to said feed-dog.

5. A sewing machine having a. frame comprising a bed and an overhanging bracket-arm, a thread-carrying needle, a rotary shaft journaled in said bracketarm, a needle-feed actuating eccentric adjustably carried by the bracket-arm shaft and connected to impart work-advancing movements to said needle, a feed-dog, a rotary shaft journaled in said bed, a feed-eccentric adjustably carried by the bed shaft and connected to impart work-advancing movements to said feed-dog, and means providing for concomitantly adjusting the eccentricities of said eccentrics.

6. A sewing machine having a frame comprising a bed and an overhanging bracket-arm, a thread-carrying needle, a rotary shaft journaled in said bracket-arm, a needle-feed actuating ccbetween said shafts, a feed-eccentric 'adjustably 5 carried by the bed shaft and connected to impart work-advancing movements to said feed dog, eccentric-adjusting members associated with said eccentrics, manually operable means mounted upon said bracket-arm for controlling the effec- 1o tive action of the adjusting member associated with the needle-feed actuating eccentric, and manually operable means mounted upon said bed for controlling the effective action of the adjusting member associated with the feed-dog actuat- 1 ing eccentric.

7. Feeding mechanism for sewing machines including a plurality of feeding elements, adjustable eccentrics having operative connections with the respective feeding elements, means for rotating 20 said eccentrics, adjusting members associated with the respective eccentrics for effecting adjustments of the eccentricities of said eccentrics, manually operable detents engageable with the respective adjusting members for controlling the 2:

effective action of the adjusting members, and means providing for releasably latching one of said detents in adjusting-member engaging position.

8. A sewing machine having a frame including 30 a bed and an overhanging bracket-arm, a rotary shaft journaled in said bed, a rotary shaft journaled in said bracket-arm, driving connections between said shafts, actuating eccentrics adjustably carried by said shafts, a plurality of 35 work-advancing feeding elements deriving operative movements from the respective eccentrics, adjusting members associated with the respective eccentrics for effecting adjustments of the eccentricities of said eccentrics, a manually op- 40 erable detent mounted upon said bracket-arm and engageable with an eccentric-adjusting member for controlling the effective action thereof, a manually operable detent mounted upon said bed and engageable with the other eccentric-adjust- 45 ing member for controlling the effective action thereof, and means providing for releasably latching one of said detents in adjusting-member engaging position.

9. A sewing machine havinga frame compris- 50 ing a bed and an overhanging bracket-arm, a thread-carrying needle, a rotary shaft journaled in said bracket-arm, a needle-feed actuating eccentric adjustably carried by the bracket-arm shaft and connected to impart work-advancing 55 movements to said needle, a feed-dog, a rotary shaft journaled in said bed, driving connections between said shafts, a feed-dog actuating eccentric adjustably carried by the bed shaft and'connected to impart work-advancing movements to as said feed-dog, eccentric-adjusting members associated with the respective eccentrics, a manually operable detent mounted upon said bracket-arm and engageable with the adjusting member associated with said needle-feed actuating eccentric, 5

a manually operable detent mounted upon said bed and engageable with the adjusting member associated with said feed-dog actuating eccentric, and means providing for releasably latching one of said detents in adjusting-member engaging position.

10. A feed-oif-arm sewing machine having a frame comprising a bed including a hollow workarm free at one end, and a bracket-arm overhanging the free end of said work-arm, a needle- 15 carrying bar journaled in said bracket-sumactuating mechanism for endwise reciprocating said needle-bar, actuating for imparting lateral work-feeding movements to said needlebar lengthwise of said work-arm, a feed-dog having operative movements for advancing work lengthwise of said work-arm in unison with the work-feeding movements of said needle, and actuating mechanism for said feed-dog disposed within said work-arm.

11. A feed-oif-arm sewing machine having a frame comprising a bed including a hollow workarm free at one end, and 'a bracket-arm overhanging the free end of said work-arm, a needlecarrying bar journaled in said bracket-arm, .actuating mechanism for endwise reciprocating said needle-bar, actuating mechanism for imparting lateral work-feeding movements to said needlebar lengthwise of said work-arm, a feed-dog having operative movements for advancing work lengthwise of said work-arm in unison with the work-feeding movements of said needle, actuating mechanism for said feed-dog disposed within said work-arm, and means providing for concomitantly adjusting the amplitude of work-advancing movements of said feed-dog and needle to an equal extent.

12. A feed-ofi-arm sewing machine having a frame comprising a bed including a hollow workarm free at one end, and a bracket-arm overhanging the free end of said work-arm, rotary shafts journaled in said bracket-arm and bed, driving connections between said shafts, an endwise reciprocatory and laterally vibratory needie-carrying bar, a needle-feed actuating eccentric adjustably carried by the bracket-arm shaft, connections with said eccentric for imparting lateral work-feeding movements to said needle lengthwise of said work-arm, an eccentric-adjusting member associated with said eccentric, a feeddog operating at the free end of said work-arm,

a feed-dog actuating eccentric adjustably carried by the bed shaft, connections with said feeddog actuating eccentric for imparting workadvancing movements to said feed-dog in unison with the work-feeding movements of said needle, an eccentric-adjusting member associated with said feed-dog actuating eccentric, a manually operable detent mounted upon said bracketarm and engageable with the adjusting member associated with the needle-feed actuating eccentric, a manually operable detent mounted upon said bed and engageable with the adjusting member associated with the feed-dog actuating eccentric, and means providing for releasably latching one of said detents in adjusting-member engaging position.

13. In a sewing machine having a work-support and a bracket-arm overhanging said worksupport, a rotary actuating shaft journaled in said bracket-arm, a rotary feed-shaft journaled below said work-support, driving connections between said shafts. a feed-actuating eccentric adjustably carried by said feed-shaft, a feed-dog deriving operative movements from said eccentric, manually controllable means associated with said eccentric and rendered effective by a turning movement of said feed-shaft for adjusting the amplitude of work-advancing movement of said feed-dog, and means carried by the bracketarm shaft for visibly indicating variations in the amplitude of feed.

1s.Inasewingmachinehavingawork-supportandabracket-armcverhangingsgmmg. support, a rotary actuating shaft journaled in said bracket-arm, a rotary feed-shaft below said work-support, driving connections between said ahafts, a feed-actuating eccentric ad- 4 justably carried by said feed-shaft, a feeding-element deriving operative movements from said eccentric, aneccentric-adjusting member mounted upon" said feed-shaft for normal rotation therewith, manually operable means for restrainingsaidadjustingmcsnberagainstturningwith said eccentric, thereby to adjust the amplitude of work-advancing movement of said feedingelement, and means carried by the bracket-arm shaft for visibly indicating variations in the amplitude of feed.

15. A-feed-ofl-arm sewing machine having a frame comprising a bed including a hollow workarm free at one end, and a bracket-arm over- .hanging the free end of said work-arm, rotary.

shafts journaled in said bracket-arm and bed, driving connections between said shafts, a feeddog operating at the free end of said work-arm,

a feed-dog actuating eccentric adjustabiy'carried as by the bed shaft, connections with said eccentric for imparting work-advancing movements to:

said feed-dog lengthwise of said work-arm, an eccentric-adjusting member normally rotatable with said eccentric, a manually operable detent mounted upon said bed for restraining rotation of the adjusting member with said eccentric, and a graduated disk carried by the bracket-arm shaft for visibly indicating variations in the amplitude of feed.

16. A sewing machine having actuating mechanism including a plurality of adjustable actuating eccentrics, and means including driving connections between said eccentrics providing for concomitantly and individually eii'ecting adjustments of the eccentricities of said eccentrics.

17. A sewing machine having actuating mechanism including a plurality of connected rotary shafts, adjustable eccentrics carried by the respective shafts, and means including driving connections between said shafts for concomitantly eflecting adjustments of the eccentricities of said eccentrics.

18. A sewing machine having a frame comprising a bed and an overhanging bracket-arm, substantially parallel rotary shafts journaled in said bracket-arm and bed, adjustable actuating eccentrics carried by the respective shafts, and means including one-to-one driving connections between said shafts for simultaneously adjusting said eccentrics as to eccentricity.

19. A sewing machine having actuating mechanism including a plurality of adjustable actuating eccentrics, adjusting members associated with the respective eccentrics for eifecting adiustments of the eccentricities of said eccentrics, and manually operable means for concomitantly and individually controlling the effective action of said adjusting members.

20. A sewing machine having actuating mechanism including a pair of adjustable actuating eccentrics, and means for concomitantly electing adjustment of the eccentricity of said eccentrics, said means providing for individually adlusting one of said eccentrics. 

